Single-Serve Beverage Container

ABSTRACT

A single-serve beverage container for dehydrated medication is provided. The single-serve beverage comprises a cylindrical cup having a bottom portion and a top portion with a tapered sidewall extending therebetween. The bottom portion and the sidewall define an interior volume adapted to contain a beverage material. A channel having an angled surface extends from the top portion to the bottom portion of the cup. Liquid injected through a top covering disposed across the top portion is guided along the channel to mix with the beverage material. The channel guides the mixture out of the cup through an aperture in the bottom covering.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/089,363 filed on Dec. 9, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a single-serve beverage container for medication. More particularly, the present invention relates a single-serve beverage container including a channel in the interior volume of the container to guide an injected liquid towards a dehydrated medication in order to mix and effectively dispense the medication. Users who are sick do not want to wait long periods of time for medication to be administered. This is especially true for sick children. A common medical treatment is a medicated formula administered in hot water or hot tea. To administer, one must typically boil water and mix a powdered medication therein. This preparation requires time and several steps.

Various types of single-serve beverage brewers have been developed in recent years. These machines are generally designed with brewing chambers adapted to receive a small packet of ground coffee or other beverage extracts. Once the beverage packet is placed in the brewing chamber, the machine injects hot water into the packet to produce a single serving of a freshly brewed beverage. Some machines have brewing chambers configured to receive pods which are small, flattened disk-shaped filter packages of beverage extract, while other machines are configured to accommodate larger, cup-shaped beverage filter cartridges.

In use, these machines are designed to pierce both the top cover and bottom of the beverage filter cartridge with sharp, needle-like tubes. The piercing of the top cover injects hot water to the beverage filter cartridge. The brewed beverage flows out of the hole created in the bottom of the cartridge and into a cup or mug for consumption by the user. The current single-serving cartridges have an insufficient volume of liquid and do not efficiently dispense the liquid contained within the cartridge in its current configuration. In addition, the flow of hot water through the cartridge tends to back up as small particles clog the bottom of the filter during the brewing process. Thus, there is a need for an improved cartridge which is capable of containing a greater volume of beverage-forming material and providing alternate flow paths for the brewed beverage to exit the cartridge as the bottom of the filter becomes clogged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of single-serve beverage container now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new and improved single-serve beverage container wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when dispensing a single serving of medication.

The present system comprises a cup having a top portion and a bottom portion with a sidewall extending therebetween. The bottom portion and the sidewall define an interior volume of the cup adapted for containing a beverage material, such as dehydrated medication. The cup further comprises a channel having an angled surface that extends from the top portion of the cup to the bottom portion of the cup. The channel guides liquid towards the beverage material to facilitate mixing.

The cup further comprises a top covering disposed across the top portion of the cup and a bottom covering disposed across the bottom portion of the cup. The bottom covering allows for the beverage material to be contained within the interior volume of the cup. Once the cup is inserted into a single-serve beverage machine, the top covering is punctured and liquid is injected therethrough. The liquid flows down the channel and mixes with the beverage material. A second puncturing creating an aperture in the bottom covering allows the mixture to exit the cup into a vessel therebelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the single-serve beverage container according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the single-serve beverage container according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the single-serve beverage container according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the single-serve beverage container. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for dispensing effective amounts of cold and flu medication. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, there are shown perspective views of the single-serve beverage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. The single-serve beverage container comprises a cup 100 having a bottom portion 102 and a top portion 104 with a sidewall 106 extending therebetween. In the depicted embodiment, the cup 100 is cylindrical and the sidewall 106 is tapered from the top portion 104 towards the bottom portion 102. This shape allows the cup 100 to be inserted into existing single-serve beverage machines, such as a KEURIG® device. The cup 100 can be composed of plastic or any other suitable material that is easily disposable.

The bottom portion 102 and the sidewall 106 define an interior volume of the cup 100. The interior volume is adapted to contain a beverage material. In the preferred embodiment, the beverage material is a dehydrated medication. For example, cold and flu medication can be disposed in a dehydrated form within the cup 100. It is also contemplated that the medication can be provided in a concentrated liquid form within the cup 100. A bottom covering 114 is disposed across a bottom portion 102 of the cup 100 to prevent the beverage material from escaping the interior volume of the cup 100. The bottom covering 114 is composed of puncturable material, such as foil or thin plastic.

A puncturable top covering 110 is also disposed across the top portion 104 of the cup 100. In the preferred embodiment, the top covering 110 is composed of foil; however, any other suitable material can be used. A single-serve beverage machine can puncture the top covering 110 in order to inject a liquid into the top portion 104 of the cup 100. Preferably, the top covering 110 is punctured to inject a hot liquid that can mix with the dehydrated medication contained within the interior volume of the cup 100.

A channel 112 extends from the top portion 104 of the cup 100 to the bottom portion 102 of the cup 100. In the depicted embodiment, the channel 112 comprises an angled surface wherein the liquid can flow towards the beverage material. In an alternative embodiment, the channel 112 is arranged in a step configuration. When liquid is injected through the top covering 110 and into the cup 100, the liquid flows from the top portion 104 along the channel 112 to the bottom portion 102 wherein the liquid mixes with the beverage material in the interior volume of the cup 100. Thus, the channel 112 directs the liquid towards the beverage material.

The cup 100 further comprises markings 120 along the sidewall 106 indicating a volume of the beverage material within the interior volume of the cup 100. In one embodiment, the single-serve beverage container contains two tablespoons of beverage material. In alternative embodiments, the single-serve beverage container can contain varying amounts of medication corresponding to a dosage for a particular user.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a top view of the single-serve beverage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. Once liquid has been injected into the cup 100 through the top covering 110, a single-serve beverage machine makes an aperture 116 through the bottom covering 114 during a second puncturing of the cup 100. The channel 112 guides liquid from the top portion 104 to the aperture 116 in the bottom covering 114. This aperture 116 allows the mixture of liquid and beverage material to exit through the bottom covering 114 of the cup 100.

The single-serve beverage container can be used in conjunction with a single-serve brewing machine, such as a KEURIG® device. In use, the single-serve beverage container is loaded into the appliance and is punctured through the top covering 110 and the bottom covering 114. The top covering 110 puncture allows liquid to enter the cup 100 and mix with the beverage material contained therein. The mixture is drained through the bottom covering 114 puncture and into a vessel therebelow. Preferably, water in a reservoir disposed within the appliance is heated before it is injected into the cup 100. Also in the preferred embodiment, the liquid is mixed with the beverage material within the cup 100 to create a medication solution that can later be orally administered to a user.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A single-serve beverage container, comprising: a cup having a bottom portion and a top portion with a sidewall extending therebetween; wherein the bottom portion and the sidewall define an interior volume of the cup; a beverage material disposed within the interior volume of the cup; a channel having an angled surface extending from the top portion to the bottom portion; wherein the channel is adapted to guide a liquid injected into the top portion of the cup to the beverage material; and a bottom covering disposed across the bottom portion. 2) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, further comprising a top covering disposed across the top portion. 3) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, further comprising markings along the sidewall indicating a volume of the beverage material disposed within the interior volume. 4) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the cup is adapted to be received by a single-serve beverage machine. 5) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the sidewall is tapered from the top portion to the bottom portion. 6) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the cup is a cylindrical shape. 7) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the beverage material is a dehydrated medication. 8) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the beverage material is a medication in a concentrated liquid form. 9) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the cup is composed of a plastic material. 10) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the bottom covering is composed of a thin plastic material. 11) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the bottom covering is composed of a foil material. 12) The single-serve beverage container of claim 2, wherein the top covering is composed of a foil material. 13) The single-serve beverage container of claim 1, wherein the liquid is hot water. 